From Beggar to Emperor: My Profession Has Its Own Characteristics

Chapter 87 Lesser Qi-Nourishing Pill

"Lord Ding."

Zhu Yuan clasped his hands in a salute to the young demon slayer who emerged from the Demon Suppression Bureau.

The way they addressed the officials showed respect.

No matter what, it's always right to call someone "sir" or "madam".

"What are you calling me, sir? My name is Ding Xiaowu." Ding Xiaowu had already walked up to Zhu Yuan, a friendly smile on his face, and said in a cheerful tone, "You can just call me Xiaowu."

According to He Zhengzhou, once Zhu Yuan becomes a martial artist, he will basically be one of his colleagues.

His politeness towards Zhu Yuan stemmed mainly from He Zhengzhou's recognition of Zhu Yuan.

"Then I'll call you Brother Xiao Wu." Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuan readily changed his address and a smile appeared on his face.

"Alright, alright!" Ding Xiaowu was quite satisfied upon hearing this, and found Zhu Yuan much more pleasing to the eye.

Then, Ding Xiaowu turned his gaze to the man with the large front teeth beside him, who could barely stand, frowned slightly, and asked, "Zhu Yuan, what are you doing with him?"

"So, Fifth Brother, have you ever heard of the Heavenly Mother Sect?" Zhu Yuan asked bluntly.

"The Celestial Mother Cult?"

Upon hearing this, Ding Xiaowu tilted his head slightly and thought for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face.

He had heard of many different sects, but he had no recollection of the Heavenly Mother Sect.

"Never heard of it." He shook his head, then curled his lip. "But just from the name, you can tell it's not a good thing."

"Um.

""

Zhu Yuan nodded in agreement, and then briefly told Ding Xiaowu about the fragmented information he had overheard about the Heavenly Mother Sect, as well as the reason why he had captured the man with the big front teeth and brought him here.

"I see." Ding Xiaowu understood immediately, a look of realization on his face. "This Heavenly Mother Sect probably hasn't developed yet, it's very small in scale, and it might only exist in our Qingyang County."

As he shared what he knew, he habitually crossed his arms: "Small sects like this are easy to deal with when they first emerge."

"If it's a larger cult that can spread throughout an entire prefecture, it will be much more troublesome to deal with."

However, strictly speaking, matters involving cults are not within the primary scope of their Demon Suppression Division's responsibilities.

Thinking of this, Ding Xiaowu turned to look at the constable who had just led him out.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Ding Xiaowu looked at the yamen runner and gestured with his chin toward the man with the large front teeth.

"Yes, sir Ding," the constable replied hastily, bowing respectfully.

"Then take him to the yamen and hand him over to the person in charge," Ding Xiaowu instructed.

"Yes!" the constable responded, immediately stepping forward and swiftly grabbing the man with the large front teeth by the arm, preparing to drag him away.

The man with the large front teeth did not struggle or resist at all, appearing unusually docile.

"So honest?"

Seeing this, Ding Xiaowu raised an eyebrow in surprise, then looked at Zhu Yuan and gently nudged him with his elbow.

"Looks like you hit him pretty hard, you scared him like that."

"It's alright, Fifth Brother." Zhu Yuan smiled and didn't explain further.

"Come on, let's go inside and have a chat." Ding Xiaowu put his arm around Zhu Yuan's shoulder, his tone warm.

Then he remembered something, stopped, and gestured to the remaining constable at the door to the peddler's pole that Zhu Yuan had placed against the wall.

"Keep an eye on my brother's goods."

"Yes, Lord Ding, rest assured." The constable at the door immediately straightened up and nodded in agreement.

Ordinary people don't dare to come to the Demon Suppression Bureau. Even if there's no one to manage the goods here, few people would dare to steal them.

Moreover, the goods sold by peddlers are all small commodities, so stealing these things here is an extremely high-risk, low-reward endeavor.

After entering the Demon Suppression Division.

Ding Xiaowu led the way familiarly, guiding Zhu Yuan through a corridor to a relatively secluded room.

"Come in, Zhu Yuan." He pushed open the door and gestured for Zhu Yuan to come in. "This is my resting place. The demon suppressers in the Demon Suppression Division all have their own separate resting places. When they are not on duty or on shift, they can rest and cultivate here."

Zhu Yuan nodded and followed him into the room.

The room wasn't big, but it was very tidy. Besides a simple table, chairs, and bed, there was a shelf against the wall with some odds and ends and books.

Ding Xiaowu casually pulled over two chairs, gesturing for Zhu Yuan to sit down. He then sat down himself in a nonchalant manner, looked Zhu Yuan up and down, and asked a question.

"Zhu Yuan, judging from your appearance, you have a calm demeanor and a solid gait. You must be close to becoming a martial artist, right?"

"Yes, Fifth Brother." Zhu Yuan didn't hide anything and nodded, then gave a relatively definite timeframe, "I should be able to officially break through in about three months."

"I heard Lord He mention you're not even fourteen yet?"

"He's fourteen now," Zhu Yuan corrected with a smile.

"So you became a martial artist at fourteen—" Ding Xiaowu asked curiously, "Was your physical constitution average, or below average?"

Regarding the specific issue of innate talent, He Zhengzhou had not yet asked Zhu Yuan, so Ding Xiaowu did not know the details either.

"Below average," Zhu Yuan answered frankly.

"That's great!" Ding Xiaowu slapped his thigh, his tone certain. "Ordinary people with average talent and aptitude usually become martial artists around your age."

If the child is from a wealthy family, the age will be pushed forward.

In Ding Xiaowu's eyes, a mid-to-lower level of physical talent was indeed quite good. He himself also had a mid-to-lower level of physical talent, just like Zhu Yuan in this respect.

After that, Ding Xiaowu started talking and chatted with Zhu Yuan for a long time.

Most of the time, he would speak enthusiastically, while Zhu Yuan would listen attentively and occasionally chime in.

Ding Xiaowu talked about many things related to the Demon Suppression Division, such as which areas they patrol, what affairs they handle, and how they identify and deal with different types of demons.

He also mentioned the promotion path within the Demon Suppression Division.

Once a demon slayer's contributions and cultivation reach the required level, they can become a demon-suppressing general in the Demon Suppression Bureau.

A demon-suppressing general needs at least the cultivation level of the Core Formation stage, which is far beyond their reach.

Demon-suppressing generals typically only appear in prefectural cities or super-large counties.

"After saying so much," Ding Xiaowu patted his head, as if suddenly remembering something important, and a sheepish smile appeared on his face. "I almost forgot to give you a reward."

As he spoke, he took out a small, exquisitely crafted brocade box, about the size of a palm, and carefully opened the lid.

Inside the brocade box, a longan-sized, translucent white pill lay quietly on a red velvet cushion, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.

"This is a Lesser Qi-Nourishing Pill." Ding Xiaowu pointed to the pill, his tone becoming more serious. "This is a reward that Lord He specially applied for for you."

"You did a really good job killing the dog demon and protecting the people last time."

"But let me tell you, the usual reward for dealing with worthless monsters isn't this. Lord He values ​​you quite a bit."

"Please thank Lord He for me later, Brother Wu," Zhu Yuan said quickly, his face showing gratitude as he looked at the pills in the brocade box.

"You can thank Lord He yourself when you meet him later." Ding Xiaowu waved his hand and smiled. "I won't do it for you, otherwise Lord He will think I'm being nosy."

"Okay." Zhu Yuan smiled and nodded.

Ding Xiaowu closed the brocade box and pushed it toward Zhu Yuan, while instructing him, "This small cultivation pill will have the best effect if you take it after you have fully mastered the basic stance training, horse stance, and walking techniques. It can also increase your chances of becoming a martial artist."

Zhu Yuan accepted the brocade box and nodded to indicate that he understood.

With his average to below-average aptitude, the probability of him breaking through to become a martial artist on his first attempt was not small.

This small Qi-cultivating pill will make his breakthrough to the Ming Jin stage more stable.

Such elixirs, which can help one achieve a breakthrough, are generally not available on the market even if one has the money.

Finally, the two chatted casually for a few more minutes.

Ding Xiaowu also knew that Zhu Yuan would continue to walk the streets and alleys as a peddler to earn money in the afternoon, and could not stay here chatting idly.

"Alright, I won't keep you from doing business any longer," Ding Xiaowu said readily as he stood up. "I'll see you out."

"Thank you, Brother Wu."

Zhu Yuan also stood up, thanked him again, and then carefully put the brocade box containing the Small Qi-Nourishing Pill into his bosom before following Ding Xiaowu out of the room.

Leave the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Zhu Yuan continued working as a peddler.

Occupation: Peddler Level: Lv4 (1239/4000)

In about two months, the peddler's level will reach the maximum, thus unlocking the last feature.

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